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I certainly have been enjoying quinoa ever since I came across it a little over a year ago and one of the things that I like most about it is its versatility. By itself quinoa makes for a great side dish and I commonly use it to make quick salads but it also works really well in soups and even in porridge. In the most recent edition of Food and Drink I came across a new way of using quinoa, risotto style, which sounded particularly interesting. I did not really expect the quinoa risotto to get as creamy as the rice version but I figured that you could not go wrong coating quinoa in melted parmigiano reggiano. Keeping it nice and seasonal this risotto includes baby artichoke hearts and it is topped off with a meyer lemon pesto in addition to some shrimp. This dish has a few steps and takes a bit of time to make but it is pretty straight forward and it is well worth the effort! I really enjoyed the way the quinoa worked in risotto form and it was nice and creamy and yet it had a light feeling to it. The meyer lemon pesto added a burst of citrusy freshness that cut through the creaminess of the risotto nicely, cleasing your palate for the next bite. Overall this was a wonderful spring dish!

Baby Artichoke Heart Quinoa Risotto with Shrimp and Meyer Lemon Pesto

Directions:1. Heat the oil in a pan.2. Add the shrimp and saute until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side and set aside.3. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan and mix the wine into the risotto.4. Serve the risotto with shrimp and meyer lemon pesto.

Directions:1. Peel the leaves from the artichokes until you get to the paler tender inner leaves. Cut the top third off and discard and cut the artichoke in half. (Tip coat the artichoke hearts in lemon juice to prevent discolouration.)2. Heat the oil in a pan.3. Add the artichoke hearts and saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes.4. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.5. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.6. Add the quinoa and stir to coat with the oil.7. Add the wine, deglaze the pan and stir while simmering until it is gone.8. Add 1/2 cup of the stock at a time and stir while simmering until it is gone. Continue until the quinoa is tender.9. Add the parmigiano reggiano and butter and stir to help it melt in.

You really have some wonderful looking recipes here. Many with ingredients I am unfamiliar cooking with. (I perused several of your posts) I had to Google Quinoa to learn more about it. I could learn lots here!

I've been doing a lot of quinoa too lately but have yet to try it risotto-style. I'll have to do that! I am also way jealous that you came across baby artichokes - I've been on the lookout for a couple weeks now with no luck.

Thank you for your comment on my blog. You have some delicious looking recipes here. I'll definitely come back to give some of them a try! :) I discovered quinoa just a few months ago and I'm in love. This recipe looks wonderful.

I also love the versatility of quinoa. To eat it hot and cold, it's so light and nutty. Even guys will eat this when I bring as pot luck. I'm in awe how you post so often and still have a life. Wonderful stuff you're making and so inventive.

A meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange and it is a bit milder and sweeter than a lemon. I have heard it said on several occasions that you can replace meyer lemon juice with equal parts lemon juice and mandarin orange juice. For this pesto I would also use healthy amounts of zest from both of them as well for even more flavour.

This is fantastic! I have been eying it ever since you posted it and finally made it...Even with all of the substitutions I had to make. I had to use store bought pesto with lemon and orange added in. That came out nicely but a bit thin since I couldn't get my hands on any basil (the depressing part of living in a rural area) but it tasted fantastic. I used canned artichokes in the risotto - that worked well also. I just added them in after the onion and garlic was sauteed. Thank you for sharing this!

Made this the other night and it was delicious!!! I had to make some substitutions in the pesto, which didn't turn out quite right, but I'll defintely try it again when I find some meyer lemons. The only change I made to the rest of the recipe was the addition of leeks in the risotto, which I highly recommend. It was fantastic! And I couldn't believe how much I had for leftovers! I used it as a side dish the next night for me, my roommate and a friend, and had enough for lunch the next day! Time consuming, but well worth the effort! Glad I stumbled across this blog! I'll be trying many more recipes.

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About Me

I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.